Cycling means for elevator control system



June 14, 1960 A. E. WHITECAR CYCLING MEANS FOR ELEVATOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed May 18, 1959 FIG.

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent CYCLING MEANS FOR ELEVATOR CONTROL SYSTEM Alten E. Whitecar, Westville, NJ nssignor to Smith Kline & French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pa, :1 poration of Pennsylvania Filed May 18, 1959, Ser. No. 814,106

Claims. (Cl. 18729) The invention relates to elevator controls, and more particularly to means for cycling the operation or an elevator during rush periods.

In modern automatic elevators of the type presently installed in newer office and apartment buildings, for example, travel of the elevator to a given floor is initiated merely by the selection by a passenger of a button on the control panel. During the rush periods preceding, for example, lunch hour or quitting time, the number of people awaiting the elevator at each floor will be greater than normal. In the typical cycle of operation of an automatic self-service elevator of this type it will proceed up to'the highest floor at which a down signal has been given, and thence on the down trip will stop to pick up passengers at the intermediate lower floors. It is not unusual that the elevator will be filled at the highest or next lower floor, but nevertheless will continue to stop at lower floors unnecessarily and without room to take on more passengers. Obviously this is both inefficient from the standpoint of full utilization of elevator facilities and annoying to passengers who may be in a hurry.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a system whereby during rush hours the elevator will stop to pick up and deliver passengers at certain predetermined and selected floors only.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system of this type which will allow normal use of the elevator-during selected periods of time intermediate rush hours.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system of this type which is simple in its construction and may be installed as a detachable unit and operated without the need of skilled technical personnel. It is a fiurther object of the invention to provide a system of this type wherein the elevator can be scheduled to stop according to different floor schedules on dirlerent successive trips.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for changing these schedules by adding floors in order to partially absorb the load of other elevators which are not operating.

The above objects and advantages are obtained according to the invention by providing means operable at the top and bottom of each trip to select the floor stops for the next trip.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the wiring and mechanical elements forming the invention; and,

- Figure 2 represents an optional modification of the cit cult of'Figure 1.

In Figure 1 there is disclosed a unit which is adapted to be connected in with the control system of an elevator 1 of the type whe'reindepression of a particular floor button in the'car energizes a car call registering relay in the control system, thereby initiating elevator travel to the selected floor. By appropriate relayssuch an elevatorconditioned at the upper terminal fioor, or at intertrol panel of the elevator car.

mediate floors, for travel in the down direction and at the lower terminal floor the elevator is conditioned for travel in the up direction. Means also are provided which at each reversal of elevator travel, or upon arrival at the highest floor called for, de-energize the holding circuit(s) for the car buttons, whereby the buttons are returned to their normal outer or un-depressed position. With respect to specific car call registering systems, which are conventional, reference may be had, for example, to Eames US. Patent 2,795,297. However, in that patent there are built-in means, which are very complex, for automatically cycling the elevator during peak operating periods. The present invention, on the other hand, rather than dealing with such built-in automatic means, comprises an extremely simple unit which is merely attached to the car button panel and plugged into the control system of a conventional automatic elevator, i.e., of the type not having automatic cycling means.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, means are provided in addition to and independent of the buttons in the elevator car, which energize the car call registering relays and cause elevator travel to the floors registered. Upon the reversal of elevator travel at the top and bottom of each trip or arrival at the highest floor called for the same means which is tripped to release the car buttons is used to operate the additional means just mentioned, which thereupon etfects registering of the floor stops for the next trip.

Considering first the conventional elevator circuit into which this unit is to be connected, solely for purposes of illustration, only four pushbuttons b1, b4, b8, and M2 in the elevator car are shown, and these act to energize relays R for registering calls to the 1st, 4th, 8th and 12th floors, respectively. The registering circuit beyond the relays R is, as mentioned previously, conventional and is not, therefore, shown. Suffice it to say, however, for purposes of the present disclosure that depression of one of the pushbuttons b1, b4, b8, Z212 closes a circuit therethrough from a common line designated L to the car call registerin circuit. Also in the unmodified elevator car is a coil 10 which is normally energized and which acts to retain selected pushbuttons in their depressed position, this coil 10 being temporarily deenergized at the highest fioor of each trip to permit return of the pushbutton to their outer or normal position. Various arrangements are employed in elevators to hold pushbuttons in depressed position and release them when proper, but most of these arrangements have in common at least the fact that they release the pushbuttons on reversal of elevator travel. The purpose to which this action is put according to the invention will be understood from the following description.

A number of leads 5, 6, 7 and 8' are taken from the relay sides (R) of pushbuttons [31, 1112, bit and b4 as illustrated in Figure l. A lead 9 is taken from the common line L. Thus it will be seen that any of these pushbuttons could be effectively bypassed, to connect line L with a car call registering relay R, by establishing a connection between lead 9 and any one of the leads 5', 6, 7' or 8. Such bypassing will result in operation of the elevator in exactly the same manner as if the pushbuttons themselves had been depressed by a passenger in the elevator.

The leads 5' to 9' are brought together and connected to individual terminals within a connector 11 in the con- This connector 11 may comprise any conventional means normally used for such purposes, for example, plugs, jacks, etc.

Leads 40 and 41 also are brought from the coil '10, previously discussed, to individual terminals within the connector 11.

Lines 5, 6, ,7, 8 and 9 are adapted to be connected byplugs, jacks, etc. through the connector 11 to leads 6, 7, 8' and 9, respectively. The lines 5, 6, 7 and 8 are adapted to be connected to the common wire 9 through selection means which include a series of switches #1, #2, #3 and #4. Switch #1 is opened and closed by a cam 12 having 'four lobes, indicated at 14, spaced 90 apart. Switch #2 is opened and closed by a cam 16 having two lobes indicated at 18, spaced 180 apart. Switches #3 and #4 likewise are opened and closed by earns 20 and 24 each having two lobes, indicated at 22 and '26, respectively. It will be noted that on cams l6 and 28 the lobes 18 and 22, which are out of phase 90, are aligned with those portions of the cam 12 which are intermediate its lobes 14. The lobes 26 of cam 24 are 45 out of phase with those of cam 20 and are aligned with two lobes 14 of cam 12. The four cams 12, 16, 28 and 24,have a common connection or shaft schematically represented at 28 with a ratchet wheel 38. A pawl 32 drives the ratchet wheel and is operated by a solenoid 34, which is energized through the switch 37 of a relay 36 and lines 38, 39. Lines 38 and 39 are adapted to be connected by plugs, jacks, etc. through the connector 11 to leads 38' and 39, respectively, which are provided within the elevator control panel and connected to a suitable electric source. The relay 36 is of conventional type and when energized serves to retain the switch 37 in the open position. Each energization of the solenoid 34 steps the ratchet wheel 38 45 to thereby rotate each of the cams 12, 16, 28 and 24an equal amount.

' As previously mentioned, at the top and bottom of each trip means are tripped to permit return of thebuttons to their normal outer positions. In the illustrated case the coil 18 is de-energized at the top and bottom of each trip, and the relay 36 through lines 48, -41, connector 11, and leads 40, 41 is shunted across this coil 10. Thus, when the elevator reverses or reaches the highest floor for button in the car.

floor directly and return directly to the first floor without intermediate stops on the upward or downward trip. On the second trip the elevator is to go up to the 8th fioor directly and to stop only at the 4th floor on the way down. It is desired after this that the elevator should again go to the 12th floor and return and then to the 8th and 4th and return. The cycle of operation is then At the rush hour during which it is desired to have the elevators operate according to the above cycle the enclosure 44 is placed over the elevator button panel and the connection at 11 is made in the manner previously described. It will be understood that once a rush hour cycle of operation has been determined for the elevator the leads indicated by a prime in Figure 1 will be brought to the connector 11 so that when prior to the rush hour the unit is positioned and plugged in this cycle of operation will begin. After phasing as discussed hereafter and when the elevator is at the first floor, the cams 12, 16, 20 and 24 will be in the position shown in Figure 1 for the beginning of the cycle. i

The switch #2 being closed, a circuit thereby will be completed through the common line 9 and lead 6 to bypass pushbutton b12 and register in the elevator control system a car call for the 12th floor. The elevator will then travel to the 12th floor and upon arrival, since this was the highest floor called for, the coil 10 will be de-' energized which would normally release the 12th floor Since the relay 36 is shunted across this coil 18, the switch 37 will be closed causing the ratchet wheel 30 and cams-12, 16, 20 and 24 to he stepped clockwise one notch, or 45". Switch #2 will then be opened and switches #3 and #4 will remain which a call has been registered, the coil 10 which is a part of the unmodified and standard elevator circuit, will be de-energized which will cause the relay 36 to be deenergized also. The switch 37 will then close and solenoid 34 will step the ratchet wheel 30.

According to the disclosed embodiment of the invention it is enclosed within an enclosure 44 adapted to be positioned over the existing button panel in the elevator. While the wiring and mechanical elements may be contained in the lower portion of the enclosure 44, a more shallow upper portion 45 may be provided solely to coverthe buttons and prevent the operation thereof by passengers in the elevator. The enclosure or casing 44 containing the wiring and mechanical elements may be secured to the elevator panel by a key-operated latch 46 which may be of any suitable kind; for example, the latch 46 may move into position over grooves or the like in the base of the buttons themselves. The latch 46 also serves the purpose of closing a switch 48 shunted by leads 49, 50, across the switch 37, whereby through key-operation of the switch 48 the solenoid 34 can be energized to step the ratchet wheel 30 for phasing purposes as will be discussed hereafter.

A contact 52 is associated with the switch #1 so that when this switch is in its open position as to line 5 a pilot light 54 will light.

It is apparent that the invention comprises a complete unit, including the enclosure 44 and the wiring and mechanical elements contained therein, which is readily manipulatable and simple to put in use. The wiring within the unit is adapted to be connected in with wiring already provided in the elevator (identified by primed numbers) by means ofthe connector 11. V

Having described the elements comprising the inven-' tion the operation thereof will now be described, .For purposes of the presentdescription let it beassumed that it is desired to schedule the elevator so that, starting from the first or ground floor, it will go up to, the 12th open in the continuing absence of cam lobes acting thereon. Stepping of the cams, however, will bring a lobe 14 of cam 12 into position to close switch #1 thereby establishing a bypass around pushbutton 121 through lines 5, 5' and registering in the control circuits a call for the first floor. Thereupon the elevator will travelto the first floor and upon arrival the coil 10 and relay. 36 will be de-energized, the switch 37 will close and the ratchet wheel will step once more. The clockwise stepping movement of the cams will bring a low point of the cam '12 under the switch #1 which therefore will be open. Switches #Z and #4 will remain open in the continuing absence of lobes 18 and 26 acting thereon, while lobe 22 of cam 20 will close switch #3 to bypass pushbutton b8 and register a call for the 8th floor.

After the elevator moves to the 8th floor the relay 36 again will be de-energized due to de-energization of coil 10 and the solenoid 34 will again step the ratchet wheel 30 and associated cams clockwise. At this occurrence the lobe 26 of cam 24 will have moved clockwise into position to close switch #4 and another lobe 14 of the cam 12 will have moved clockwise into position to close switch #1. Thus when the elevator is at the 8th floor and ready for. the downward trip, the switches #1 and #4 will be closed to bypass, respectively, pushbutton b1 I for registering a call for the 1st floor and pushbutton b4 i.e., the up and down buttons located at each floor. Therefore, a master switch (not shown) may be thrown 'at the time the unit is connected to the elevator panel to disconnect completely these floor call buttons.

,The operation of the phasing switch 48 and pilot light 54 will now be described. Assuming that theenclosure 44 containing the unit comprising the invention is plugged into the elevator circuit while the elevator is stopped at the 1st or lower terminal floor, it is obvious that the earns 12, 16, 20 and 24 should be in a position corresponding to that step of the cycle which corresponds to arrival of the elevator at the 1st floor and readiness to run to an upper floor. In this position switch #1 would be open and switch #2 or switch #3 would be closed for floor 12 or 8, respectively. When switch #1 is open with respect to line 5, contact 52 will be closed and pilot light 54 will be lighted. When the unit is positioned over the elevator button panel and plugged in at 11, if the pilot light 54 is not lighted, the building attendant can turn the key-operated latch 46 once to close switch 48 and step the ratchet wheel 3! once. This will cause cam 12 to allow switch #1 to open with respect to line 5 while closing contact 52 to light pilot 54, and closing a circuit to bypass one of the pushbuttons for an upper floor, thereby starting the elevator on its upward trip.

Summarizing the above described cycle of operation, it is possible by using the unit shown in Figure l to discontinue normal operation of the elevator during rush periods and to cause it to run automatically to certain select floors only, with different floors being served on dilferent successive trips. For purposes of illustration only, the elevator has been shown to follow a cycle l-12-1-8-41 during installation of the unit comprising the invention. However, it must be understood that any number of floors may be included in any one trip and that the cycle may include any number of trips instead of two as in the illustrated case. This may be accomplished by connecting additional cams and associated switches with the ratchet wheel 30, and by the mere arrangement of the cam lobes on all the cams various combinations of floors and trips may be obtained. Also, it is apparent that one switch operated by a single cam could be closed to signal for running of the elevator to a number of floors. This will be discussed later with reference to Figure 2.

It would be possible if desired to build the complete unit into the elevator and to initiate its operation by means of a timer or a manual switch which would also cut out the car buttons and floor call buttons to discontinue free selective operation.

In some elevators with Which the herein disclosed unit might be used if, upon arrival at an intermediate fioor there are no further calls registered in the system, from neither the floor call buttons or the elevator pushbuttons, the elevator will automatically continue to the upper tertravel in the down direction. But, if upon arrival at that intermediate floor, and within a certain time interval, a passenger enters and pushes a button for a lower floor the elevator will travel in the down direction to that lower floor instead of to the upper terminal fioor. It is for this reason that, according to the present disclosure, provision is made for registering in the system a call for the 1st floor each time the elevator reaches the top floor scheduled for any particular trip, and thereby precluding undesired travel to the upper terminal floor. Conceivably, in the type of elevator which returns to the 1st floor automatically, and does not under certain conditions continue to the upper terminal floor, cam 12 and switch #1 could be eliminated. The stepping relay 34 could then be responsive to what is sometimes known as an up preference relay, which normally operates at the bottom of each trip to condition the elevator for registering and answering calls to upper floors.

invention could be applied in a unit designed to handle peak loads from a lower floor to specified upper floors. This is particularly efiicient since to deliver a given number of passengers in a full elevator to their destinations the elevator need stop at only one meal a few floors before returning to take on another load. This obviously results in a saving of time.

Although the disclosed invention operates from the 1st floor as its home base or lower terminal floor, it may be desirable to utilize it during a lunch hour, for example, for taking passangers back and forth between a cafeteria on the 2nd floor and upper floors.

Referring to Figure 2 there is disclosed an optional arrangement whereby floors can be added to those normally served during operation of the invention. A double pole switch 58 may be built into the elevator control panel in conjunction with the leads 5', 6, 7', 8' passing from the connector 11 to the control circuit of the elevator. For purposes of illustration these leads have been identified by the numbers of the floors which they select according to the illustrative example hereinabove. As an example, suppose that it is desired to have the elevator go to the 13th floor in addition to the 8th and 4th floors. By interposing the double pole switch 58 as shown in Figure 2, when switch #3 in Figure 1 is closed the circuit completed through 7, 7' may be diverted through a lead 59 by closing the switch 58 from the position shown. The lead 59 may be connected to a point between the pushbutton for the 13th fioor and its associated car call registering relay in a manner similar to the connections shown in Figure 1. In the absence of a double pole arrangement the lead used would be left open and the elevator would not stop at the 8th floor on the down trip. However, according to the arrangement shown when the elevator floor energization of the relay 36 and stepping of the cam 24 will cause a closing of switch #4 and completion of a circuit through lead 8' for the 4th floor. A lead 6! taken off lead 8' will reestablish a circuit through 7 and thereby the elevator will stop at the 8th floor as well as the 4th floor on the down trip.

In the event that a higher than the highest floor for which the unit is designed, for example, the 10th floor, a switch 61 may be called for through lead 8'.

It will be understood that various made from the specific illustration of out departing from the scope of the by the following claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A unit for automatically cycling the operation of a push button controlled elevator, comprising a plurality of clrcuit means each adapted to bypass the car call but; ton for a given floor to thereby register in the elevator control system a call for that floor, separate means operable to activate each of said circuit means, sequential selection means having successive stages composing a cycle of operation, stepping means for stepping said selection means from one said stage to the next, certain of said stages comprising means operating preselected groups of said activating means and each of said stages comprising means operating at least one of said activating means, and means initiating operation of said stepping means at the end of each trip, whereby the activating means selected during each stage will determine the schedule of fioor stops on the trip represented by said stage.

2. A unit according to claim 1, including means for mounting said circuit means, activating means, selection means and stepping means over the push button control panel of the elevator car, and an enclosure for said means.

3. A unit for automatically cycling the operation of a push button controlled elevator,

departures may be the invention withinvention as defined the push button for registering a particular floor call,

cycle of operation composed of a number of stages, means for sequential stepping of said selection means from one stage to the next, each of said stages comprising means to close at least one of said switches and certain of said stages being adapted to close preselected groups of said switches, .and means initiating operation of said stepping means upon completion of any stage by move ment of the elevator to all the floors represented by switches closed in that stage. i 4. A unit according to claim 3, wherein said selection means comprises a plurality of cams positionable to effect closing of said switches.

5. A unit according to claim 3, including means for detachably mounting the means recited therein on the. push button control panel of the elevator car, and means for enclosing the said recited means.

6. A unit for automatically cycling the operation of a push button controlled elevator according to a preselected schedule of floors, comprising a plurality of means each adapted upon operation thereof to bypass the push button for a particular floor, selection means sequentially operated through a cycle of operation by successive incremental stages, every other one of said stages comprising means effecting operation of a first-mentioned means representing the top fioor of a given elevator trip, and stages between the last-mentioned stages comprising means elfecting operation of preselected groups of said first-mentioned means representing the schedule of floor stops on the return from said top floor, and means stepping said selection means from one stage to the next upon completion of each stage by movement of the elevator to each of the floors represented by that stage.

7. A unit according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said fnstmentioned means is adapted upon. operation thereof to bypass the push buttons for a plurality of floors simultaneously.

8. A unit according to claim 6 including means disconnecting one of said first-mentioned means from its associated push button, means connecting said discon nected first-mentioned means to bypass the push button for a higher floor, and means connecting the push button thus disconnected in parallel with a first-mentioned means for a lower floor.

9. A unit for automatically cycling the operationof a push button controlled elevator, comprising a plurality of individual circuitrneans, means for connecting said circuit means to the car call registering means of an elevator car, said registering circuit means, sequential means operable in each stage thereof to activate preselected circuit means, stepping means for stepping said selection means from one stage means being operable by said to the next,'and means initiatingoperation of said ste ping means upon completion of all floor calls registered in any said stage.

10. A unit according to claim 9, including an enclosure for the means recited therein, and means for detachably mounting said enclosure over the push button control panel of the elevator car.

11. A unit for automatically cycling the operation of a push button controlled elevator, comprising a plurality of circuit means each adapted to be electrically connected to a car call registering relay within the elevator car for energizing said relay, selection means for said circuit means having a cycle of operation composed of a number of stages, means for sequentially stepping said selection means from one stage to the next, each of said stages comprising means for activating at least one of said circuit means and certain of said stages comprising means for activating preselected groups of said activating means, and means initiating operation of said stepping means upon completion of any said stage by movement of the elevator car to all the floors represented by the circuit means activated in that stage.

'12. A unit according to claim 11, comprising an enclosure for said circuit means, selection means, stepping means and last-mentioned means, and means for detachably mounting said enclosure over the push button control panel of an elevator car.

13. A unit according to claim 12, for connecting said circuit means to panel and connected to said relays.

14. A unit according to claim 12, including pilot means, and wherein certain stages of said selection means include means operating said pilot means, whereby said pilot means indicates the conditioning of the unit for causing elevator travel in a given direction.

15. A unit for automatically cycling the operation of a push button controlled elevator, comprising a plurality of circuit means each adapted to be electrically connected to acar call registering relay within the elevator car for energizing said relay, selection means for said circuit means having a cycle of operation composed of a number of stages, means for sequentially stepping said selection means from one stage to the next, each of said stages comprising means for activating at least one of said circuit means, and means initiating operation of said stepping means upon return of the elevator to a terminal floor and after completion of any said stage by movement of the elevator car to all the floors represented by the circuit means activated in that stage.

including means leads within said No references cited. 

